


Rebel Red Carnation (grows while I decay)

by ChameleonSushi



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Character Death, Gay, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Punk Josh Dun, Red Haired Josh Dun, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-05 07:07:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16805851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChameleonSushi/pseuds/ChameleonSushi
Summary: No smut! Sorry loves aha.Trigger warning will be posted at the beginning of chapters. I'll update when I feel."The air feels heavy.Rain pours outside, trickling down the windowsill of a small apartment. Through the clamouring of the city coming to life, Tyler and Josh tend to packing their things."Don't forget your medicine!" Tyler hears Josh yelling from across the house."I already have it! Did you text Mark?" No reply. If anything Josh was trying to call him now.Gunshots can be heard from outside. The bright flashes of sudden fires. The scent of burned rubber is so strong you can smell it inside."A zombie AU where we get little backstory about Josh and Tyler. They started as roomies in Marion, Ohio, and their adventure takes some crazy turns. Oh yeah. Theyre gay too.





	1. I'm Runnin' for My Life

The air feels heavy. 

Rain pours outside, trickling down the windowsill of a small apartment. Through the clamouring of the city coming to life, Tyler and Josh tend to packing their things.

"Don't forget your medicine!" Tyler hears Josh yelling from across the house. 

"I already have it! Did you text Mark?" No reply. If anything Josh was trying to call him now.

Gunshots can be heard from outside. The bright flashes of sudden fires. The scent of burned rubber is so strong you can smell it inside.

Tyler quickly gathers up his things, clothes, medication, the small amount of food they had fit into a book bag. It wouldn't be enough, but it would last a couple days at least. The van was big enough to hold almost anything, but their main goal was to get on the road before the city was quarantined. 

Josh quickly runs into their small bedroom with a baseball bat in one hand, and Jim's leash in the other. "Hold my bat." Josh seems to toss the wooden bat to Tyler as he rushes to grab a pair of his lucky drum sticks and some CDs. "Grab the bags; I'll run through and find the generator."

Tyler nods and quickly gathers up all the bags, and a small medkit. Josh moves ahead to the front door while Tyler spots a switchblade on the desk.

Swiftly, Tyler places the small knife in his pocket before briskly walking towards the door. "It sounds like people are shooting on sight.." Tyler warns, looking to Josh and Jim with worry. 

"Just fucking open the door." He states, and with a nod, Tyler firmly places his hand on the doorknob.

The two were exposed to the real chaos. People running down streets only to drop like flies. The house a few blocks over seemed to be ablaze, with flames higher than the trees. There was no law in order, as if they gave up and left everyone to kill each other. 

Screams, barking, inhuman growling. These were only a few noises that rang through the thick heavy air. The water that ran along the road was tinted a murky red. 

The two darted towards the cargo van. Tyler quickly slides open the larger door and begins to throw supplies into the back. Josh sits the generator neatly in the seat behind the driver's side. "Jim!" Tyler makes a small clicking noise to call the large dog into the van. "Come on, buddy!" 

Jim jumps into the back seat of the van with a huff, as Tyler follows behind him. Josh hops in the driver's seat and with a sputter, the van starts.

Speeding through the chaotic town seemed like a dream. Interstates were, more than likely, closed. A sharp thud on the side of the van snapped everyone out of their train of thought.

Josh slams the breaks, sending Tyler and Jim flying out of their seats. 

"Please..please! You have to help me!" Josh looks to a taller man who runs to the other side of the van. Although, with a click, the door locks.

Josh couldn't risk getting someone hurt. The man kept trying to open the door with no prevail.

"Josh! Let him in!"

"What if he's infected?" 

"Josh, please just--"

A high pitch scream grabs the two's attention as they turn to what was once a living man. The infected attached to his neck by it's teeth kept a strong hold. It's hair was matted with blood. Gunshots scattered around it's body. And then once again, Josh is slamming his foot on the gas.

The van continues on swerving backroad out of Marion. Tyler sat in the backseat, rolling a cigarette for the two to share. Jim lay in a pile of blankets; softly asleep. 

As Tyler makes his way to the front seat, Josh begins to laugh.

"We're fucked. This is fucked." Josh laughs through his words as Tyler lights the cigarette. "I don't think we're fucked fully. Half-fucked at most." Tyler says in more a stable tone. "We have Jim and we're going to see Mark. We can stop somewhere when we get tired and rest."

Josh nods and continues to drive in silence while Tyler grabs his phone and plugs it up to the small storm generator in the vehicle.

The rolling tires against the gravel created a soft, rough noise. It was too quiet. The only sounds that existed were the loud engine and Jim snoring.

"I got Mark's dorm number." Josh breaks the silence, suddenly. Tyler smiles in relief. "Thank God." Tyler then asks, "What is it?" Josh finally cracks a smile.

"You wouldn't believe it."

"What is it?"

"Sixty-Nine D."

A loud snort escapes from Tyler, and Josh laughs with him. "I love that!" Tyler exclaims in response. His broken laughs wake up Jim; who barks back at Tyler as if telling him to be quiet. Tyler sighs and looks down as Jim waddles his way to the front seats. "What's up?" Josh asks, more in a serious tone.

"I just hope Jenna is okay."


	2. I love to hate the fight

A loud thud wakes Tyler from his deep sleep. They had hoped it was only a dream. It was incredibly dark outside, Tyler must've fallen asleep during the drive.

"Where are we?" Tyler tiredly asks, rubbing his eyes to try and wake up. "Cincinnati." Josh blows a smoke ring above his head. "A lot of the roads have been closed. Towns too." Josh unbuckles and crawls his way to the back. Upon resting his eyes, his lips part to speak once again. "Mark stopped replying."

Tyler's heart sinks, "He did?" Josh shakes his head, and covers himself with a larger comforter from the back.

Tyler sighs and rolls up all of the windows. When it's easier to see, they can refuel with the gas can in the back. Tyler let's the back of the passenger seat fall, and drifts off back to sleep.

Snap.

An unnatural dragging noise moves leaves across the ground. Josh's eyes shoot open, a dim daylight begins to rise over the trees. Quickly, Josh shakes Tyler awake. "Tyler. There's someone outside." Jim let's out a soft growl as everyone hears another snap. 

Josh takes his bat in hand as Tyler stands close behind. Josh slowly inches closer to the window to look outside.

"I don't see--'

Crash. The window behind Tyler breaks as the smell of rotted flesh fills the small space entirely. "Fuck!" Josh yells, turning around to see the feminine shadow behind his best friend. 

Discoloured arms reach though the broken glass window, reaching around and grabbing Tyler.

Tyler rushes to reach into his back pocket, pulling out the knife, and swiftly breaks free from the undead's grasp.

Just as Josh raises his bat, a cold splatter sprays against the two. The corpse, still moving slightly tries reaching for Tyler.

The long, black knife sticks through the zombie's right eye. Josh holds the bat in a frozen state as Tyler's grip on the knife tightens. The infected ceases movement, and he releases the knife from it's eyesocket.

Tears well in Tyler's eyes, he just took a life. Not a life, but it felt like a life. The spray of cold blood already began drying against their faces. Tyler's gray shirt suffered a small rip in the collar, and his shoulders were painted with congealed blood.

"Holy fuck..." Josh speaks quietly. Tyler, still in shock, opens the car door with a creak to look at the undead's body. As Tyler stares down at the rotting corpse, Josh opens the driver's door and walks around to the taller man.

With a quick swipe of the hand, Tyler smacks the blood off of his body. "Germ-X?" Tyler says, stale; pulling out some alcohol wipes from the medkit attached to their left thigh. Josh nods and pulls out Germ-X for Tyler, handing it over with a heavy silence.

Tyler stands up after a bit, still looking over the corpse. "This is how it is now." Josh says, "You just need to adapt." He nods, looking over to Josh before speaking once more. 

"We should head out. The sooner we get to campus the better." Josh states, "Can you feed Jim? Shit's in the back of the van." Tyler gives a light smile and nods, making his way to the back.

The dog food clatters against the metal bowl. Jim is wagging his tail so hard that it creates a loud smack noise with everything it comes in contact with. Tyler seals the bag as the van begins to move. The campus wasn't that far, just an hour and thirty minutes away. Tyler feared for the worst. Josh hummed along the soft music playing from a CD he must have inserted into the CD Drive while Tyler was sleeping.


	3. Venom on my tongue

"Ohio State University..." Josh's words are as thick as the smog that has filled around the city. Tall skyscrapers have began to almost sink as broken glass and support beams are in a tangled mess. It wasn't the beaming city that they had grown up in, any more. It was clouded in corruption. 

It's much brighter outside, now. Josh would've said the most monumental thing that had changed was the concept of time. Though, if you had asked Tyler, he would have said something nearly completely opposite. 

Tyler turns his attention towards the city; closely examining the amount of people-- Or, at least, what used to be people. There wasn't a way for the two to tell if they were the only ones alive in Columbus, or not. Everyone had either taken shelter, or run away. When they think "everyone," they are quickly reminded that they are traversing through an insane amount of stopped and wrecked cars from countless civilians trying to escape their inevitable doom. Needless to say, the two boys were glad they lived in a smaller city. 

As the boys are lost in thought, Tyler notices the van decreasing in speed, but there was no reason for Josh to come to a stop.

"Fuck!" Josh's booming voice startles Tyler. His voice was like the color red. The red of his hair, the red of Jim's collar. The red blood that had been spilled from all of these people.

"Ty, we're out of gas. I need you to--" 

"Out of gas? Josh, we're dead. We cant go out there. There's too many openings and--" 

As quickly as Tyler had interrupted, Josh's voice had taken control over the thick air. "Listen, Ty. We have to do this. We are too close to Mark. I'll protect you. Just fill up the gas tank, okay?"

Josh quickly unbuckles, grabbing the gas canister from the back, and placing it in Tyler's lap as he grabs his bat. "On the count of three, we go out there." Josh reaches down to the floor of the van to press the button that releases the fuel cap. 

"Okay," the punk places his hand on his best friend's shoulder. 

"Wait, Josh. I don't know how--"

"Three!" 

Josh throws open his door amd Tyler follows in his lead. Even though Tyler didn't know what to do, he couldn't leave Josh out there, alone. 

Josh taps his bat on the ground as he draws the attention of a few nearby walkers. 

"I don't know how to do this!" Half-yells Tyler; looking around with panic in his eyes and fear tainting his voice. 

"Tyler, you literally just put the nozzle into the fuel tank! I know you can't drive but it's not that difficult!"

Josh's bat makes swift contact with the infected's chest.

Tyler looks behind himself, two undead have taken notice to his living being. He quickly tilts the canister as the tank fills. Twigs snap as the stubbier male drags his leg forward.

His business attire shows that he probably worked in an office, he dragged his leg against the ground in an unnatural fashion. From the looks of it, he seemed slow due to his injuries.

The smaller female though, wearing a bright red swimsuit, seemed unharmed. Recently turned. Her curly blonde hair bounced as she darted towards Tyler. He quickly removes the gas tank.

With another sharp hit to the head, the undead falls to the ground with a pool of blood. "Help!" Josh turns to see Tyler pinned to the ground, an empty gas tank lay to the side.

Kicking and screaming, Tyler tries his best to remove the rotted corpse from himself as the male undead grows closer. Knife in hand, he slashes against the undead's arm. "Get off!" He half-yells through the shaky inhale of panic.

A spray of fresher blood paints the side of the white van, including Tyler. The weight of his body is lifted as another crack rings through the air.

Tyler stands up quickly, putting the cap on to the gas tank. The stubbier man, much closer now, sends a low growl towards the two.

As Josh steps forward he feels a hand on his shoulder. "Leave him be. He's too slow anyway." Josh's knuckles tighten against the bat before he brings his arm down.

The two quickly hop back into the van and with a few sputters, it starts up. Tyler sighs and pulls out a cigarette, lighting it before handing Josh one as well.

"Full tank." Josh smiles and laughs, wiping the blood from his forehead. Tyler takes a long drag from his cigarette before turning on his phone. "I'm gonna lay in the back and calm down..?" His tone indicates that this was a question, but both of them knew what had just happened. Honestly, Josh felt bad for putting Tyler through that. But, he knew Tyler wouldn't be able to draw the attention to himself or posses wnough strength to save Josh in case something happened.


	4. I'm so sorry, I forgot you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! I know this is short but I just felt like this one had to be, because its a transitiion point in the story!

"Tyler, get up!" Josh yells, holding Jim on a leash with one hand. His bat in the other. Tyler shoots up, grabbing his knife and attaching his medkit onto his thigh. "Sounds..messy." Tyler motions towards the dorm building. 

A cigarette butt hits the ground with a smack as Josh and Tyler break into a sprint towards the tall building. 

Undead, everywhere. Tyler already felt a sinking pit build up in his stomach, seeing Mark dead would--

A wet hand rubs against Tyler, as he turns Josh is digging into an undead corpse. "They can't smell us if we smell like them." Josh whispers, motioning for Tyler to join him.

"Josh, I can't do that. I'll barf. It's probably not good and--" Tyler gets cut off with a brief snap. 

"Tyler, hush! Calm down. It's okay to be grossed out. This is our only chance, dude. You got this. You'll be okay. We'll be okay." 

With a newfound energy, Tyler takes out his switch blade and slashes open a fallen corpse. He examines it's mangled body. It's congealed blood gathered around scattered bullet holes. It's clothes tattered that made modern day brands unrecognizable. 

Covered in the worst thing to be covered in, Tyler and Josh enter the tall building. "Be...silent." Josh says under his breath while reassuring Tyler as they make their way to Mark's dorm.

The undead here all had futures. They had paid tons of money on textbooks, college itself. Now they're just..dead. Josh snaps from his train of thought as they approach the D Hall.

"Sixty-Nine, Sixty-Nine.." Tyler and Josh take one side of the hall each. Running up and down it until they find the right dorm.

"Moment of truth--" Josh slams his fist against the door multiple times without a word. Tyler stands idly behind him before the door swings open.

Bang.


	5. I'm just a chemical

Chapter 5

A gun points in between the two roommates. A small bullethole lay in the beige wall behind them.

"Who the fuck?!" Mark yells, covered in the gore from the undead himself. Josh leans against the door frame and crosses his arms. "That wasn't very nice." The gun clatters to the floor as Mark opens his arms.

Tyler and Josh quickly rush in for a hug. "Fuck, I thought you guys were dead. Why the hell are you guys here?" Mark rests his hand on Tyler's back as Josh pulls away to speak. Mark can feel tears dropping against his shirt.

"You forget our plans already?" Josh jokes with him as he pushes his way inside. Josh seems to be taking a calm, nonchalant nature despite the entire apocalypse forming before their eyes. Tyler and Mark follow closely behind. "You got any snacks?" Josh yells as Tyler takes the leash. Jim wags his tail as Mark pats him.

The room is cluttered with what looks to be makeshift barricades. Candles sit on a small counter, creating the only light in the dorm. "Uhh...check the cabinets." Mark takes a seat on the couch and assesses the situation.

Josh opens the various cabinets like a mad man, and unzips his book bag to fill it with processed snack foods. Josh isn't surprised, considering Mark was going to get his degree in "Music Education" and lived in an overpriced dorm. As Josh continues to fill the bag, he grabs a granola bar from the package and eats it as if he hadn't eaten for days, though they've only been in this chaos for about 13 hours.

Mark turns his attention to Tyler, and parts his lips as if to say something, but he pauses for around 10 seconds. "Tyler... Are you doing okay?"

Tyler exhaled deeply. He hadn't realized he was actually holding in his breath until that moment. Mark had known Tyler for a long time. Longer than Tyler had known Josh for.

Tyler wasn't a neurotypical. He had anxiety, depressive disorder, dissociative disorder, and psychosis. It took a toll on him constantly, though he seemed to manage just fine. But today isnt a normal day.

Tyler's breath hitched, as he began to croak out an answer. "Uhh... I've kinda dissociated. I don't know what's happening or where we are. Well, I do, kinda. It's just like I'm not processing it logically or emotionally."

As Tyler is saying this, he notices his red-haired friend has been leaning on the couch; listening to the interaction. Josh begins to slump down onto the leather couch.

Josh is staring off into space. But he isn't lost in wonder, or thinking of a new beat, this time. He's utterly lost in thought. Now that the manic, chaotic driving had passed, the heavy weight of reality had sunk in.

It's not like Josh. He never talks about his feelings. Always telling people it will be okay. But, now, he doesn't even know what "okay" is. Josh's brows furrowed and he started to squint his eyes; to keep from crying, Tyler assumed. But seeing Josh in this state made him hurt, so badly. He just wanted to pep his best friend up, just like Josh does for him.

But silence is the only thing that fills the air. Everyone is coming to the realization that they _could_ be the only ones left. But, why them? They are the least qualified out of everyone. A drummer, a pianist/lyricist, and a music major.

What was the next step? Nobody thought that far. Do they stay there or try and fight through the undead to hit the road.

That's when Tyler remembered.

Jenna.

Tyler shoots up. He starts to hyperventilate. Tears gloss over his fragile eyes.

Josh doesn't move. Usually, it's his first instinct. He knows what Tyler struggles with. But, now, he's just focused on not losing his own mentality. 

Mark, also, does not dare to move. He's helped Tyler with his panic attacks for years, but this felt like such unfamiliar territory.

"Jenna. She's out there. We can't not see her. We have to make sure she's okay. She's okay, she's okay, she's okay, she's okay." Tyler tended to repeat things in multiples of four whenever his mind would halt in thought. It was like a factory reset on his brain. Tyler hated the number four. He hated how he had to repeat certain phrases. The weird looks he got from it. It was his unlucky number.

Mark slowly got up from his seat to console Tyler. He made sure to move carefully as to not send Tyler further into the depths of his thoughts. "Hey, bud. It's gonna be okay. You need to rest. We're safe here. Josh and I will make sure nothing happens. We can leave whenever you guys feel rested and try and get a hold of Jenna. Phone services are dead, now. You can't reach her. Hopefully, she chose to barricade."

Tyler, still hyperventilating, simply held his head in his hands, and sank down to his knees.

_You don't get thick skin without getting burnt._


	6. Just what I'm feelin'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This one is really short but I wanted to throw in a nice, slow chapter that doesn't end in a cliffhanger. I wrote this one really quickly so it isnt much, but thank you guys for the reads and kudos! I'm glad you guys are enjoying it :) And of course a very special thanks to my best friend, FlashaftertheCold, for being an absolute sweetheart and giving me feedback!

The daylight disappears just as fast as it rises. The three friends converse, joke, even played some old board games that Mark had stashed in his dorm from early childhood.

_Buzz_

"Oh, come on!" Tyler curses under his breath. He drops a pair of tweezers in his defeat. They're attached by a red wire and accompanied by a flashing red nose. 

Josh's lips curled into a smile at hearing Tyler's antics. The first time he had smiled in a while, actually. Though, everyone was enjoying their time, there was a thick layer of reality contaminating the ambiance of the room. Over the dim candle lights. The snoring of Jim. The bumps in the hallways. The sound of gargling and snarling.

They winded down for bed. The boys never thought they would be so thankful to sleep on the floor instead of in the old van. Mark began placing furniture between the dorm and the hallway outside. A tall, heavy bookshelf was pushed flush against the door.

A table lay in between a few seats and the tv, which was hooked into an old, purple gamecube. One that Tyler had recognized from his childhood past of sitting in Mark's basement; playing Mario Kart.

There wasn't enough room for all of them to sleep on Mark's bed, obviously. Tyler took the space on the floor closest to Mark, and Josh layed on the other side of the previously mentioned table. Jim simply curled up betweem the two, under the table. Mark had only a spare sheet, so Tyler insisted for Josh and Jim to nest themselves in it. Tyler was generally very warm, and blankets caused him to break into a sweat.

A few hours into the night, the boys all toss and turn. Low grunts through the night, as a response to the sounds behind the thin walls seperating them from rotting flesh. Jim gets up every few hours to drink some water that Josh had brought in from his van.

The dorm was chilly. All of the white walls, windows, and the size of the apartment affected the temperature. Josh was huddled into his blanket tighter than when the night started. Mark had a comforter and was sandwiched between the heavy sheets and the mattress. But, Tyler was left with nothing. He felt freezing, despite tiny beads of sweat that had speckled across his forehead. He stretched his arms over his head and shifted around to find warmth.

The tall boy sits up from his spot on the floor, and runs his hand through his fluffy bed head. He looks at Jim, then his eyes are directed to the crimson hair laying a few feet away. More importantly, his gaze leaves Josh's hair nearly immediately and his attention is brought to the thin, white sheet that Josh was wrapped in. He wages a war on his head for a moment, and decides to stand up to ask for some of the blanket. He tiptoes to his friend, careful not to wake anyone.

"Jishwa?"

His voice is soft and low. He kneels down, and places a hand on Josh's shoulder. Tyler waits for a few seconds; even though he had no reaosn to. He gently gives a shake to his friend. "Josh? Are you awake?" No response. Josh was always a heavy sleeper, and with how many hours he drove, Tyler knew he was exhausted.

"Josh. C'mon. Wakey wakey, dude." A few more shakes and Tyler hears a groan. Mocha eyes peak out from the folds of the blanket; glossed over and squinted from sleep.

"Hey? What's up?" Josh's voice is almost a whisper. His throat was dry, and his words were even more so. He gives a warm smile to Tyler.

"I'm really cold. Do you mind scooting over? I don't have a blanket and domt want to bother Mark." Tyler's voice is small. _He_ feels small. Like when he was 6 years old and crying to his mom about sleeping with her because he had a night terror.

Still half asleep, Josh nods and sits up to unravel himself from his blanket cocoon. Josh moves over, his body pressed against the cold walls. Tyler sits down and nestles into the spot where Josh once was. He's greeted with comfort when Josh throws the sheet over Tyler, and their backs touch. Tyler accidentally bumps his foot with Josh's, amd Josh flinches away in return.

"Dude, your feet are so cold. Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

Tyler doesn't respond, and instead nods off into peaceful sleep next to his best friend.


	7. Smithereens

Tyler, Mark, and Josh had all found their comfort in the unsettling night. More Tyler and Josh than Mark, though. Throughout the night, they slowly slept closer and closer to each other. They had cuddled before, so it really wasnt a big deal. But, it felt different. It was the only form of comfort and familiarity they had. The only thing that didn't change between now and 2 days ago. They only had each other, Mark, and Jim. Maybe Jenna, if they could find her, at least.

If you asked them how long it took them to be tangled in each other's limbs, they wouldn't be able to tell you. It was indistinguishable between twenty minutes or two hours. Either way, it was boldly interrupted by a crash.

Everyone jumped awake. A few of the candles were still lit in the middle of the night for light. To see if any of _them_ have gotten in. Mark grabbed his gun and headed towards the living room. Tyler froze, and Josh held him _so_ tightly. Josh was protecting Tyler. Comforting him.

Mark readies himself for whatever chaos could happen next. Scanning the room, he checks the corners, around the perimeter, and at the door. The kitchen is directlt ocnnected to the living room, but it's seperated with countertops. He didn't see anything in particular, until he scanned the ground for a trash can that had been knocked down.

Mark goes back into his room, to reach into a nightstand that he had stored a torch in. He flicked the light on and shook it to bring the old batteries to life.

Pointing his torch, he turns his gait to his trash can. As he approaches, he notices a golden tail wagging back and forth. Jim was picking out some old food that Mark hadn't taken to the bin. Mark sighs and shines the torch to the door, which still had the bookshelf untouched.

Josh and Tyler still didn't know what was happening. Tyler thought he was a goner. Somebody took his breath away from him. He softly sobbed into the collar of Josh's shirt, while Josh sat his head to rest on Tyler's floofy hair. 

As the boys were watching the entrance to the room, they noticed Mark walk through with all color drained from his face. He says, disappointment lining his tongue, "It was Jim. He just knocked something over." His face was completely void of emotion. Everyone in their own state of panic just froze. Thank _God_ they didn't die. But they could've.

Nobody slept for the rest of that night.

They stared at the walls. Occasionally, each other.

Fast forward to the morning. The natural light shining through the windows. When Tyler and Josh snapped out of their haze, they became intensely aware of the fact that they couldnt shower and they covered certain areas with the congealed blood and organs.

"What do we do now? We don't know how many are out there." Mark implored. "Do we leave or stay until we have no other choice?"

Josh and Tyler thought for a minute. Tyler shook his head and Josh rested his head on his arn, propped against his knee. "I don't know yet. My mind is still hazy."

"We can come up with a plan. Its better to keep moving," Tyler spoke up. "We still have some water here, we can eat poptarts. We're fine."

Mark smiles at Tyler. "Good idea, bud. We got this."

Josh clears his throat. "Uh, Mark? Is it cool if I smoke in here?" He pulls out his pack of hand-rolled cigarettes that Tyler had rolled while Josh was driving. Josh gives a light squeeze to Tyler's hand; that he didn't know he was holding in the first place.

Mark chuckles at Josh. "Nah, dude. Sorry. Ya gotta go outside. Campus rules."

Josh didn't understand why Mark was laughing, but he started to get up, regardless. As soon as Josh stands up, he realizes why Mark was chuckling.

"Oh come on, Mark! I don't think before i act. You could've been responsible for my inevitable death."

"Suck it up, Jishwa." Mark replies.

Tyler and Josh share a cigarette, and Mark bums one as well. They sit in the living room, once again, and plan a course of action. Mark pulls out two+ pages from one of his college-grade spiral notebooks. One is a list of places they could potentially scavenge for some food and water, maybe medical supplies. The other was a bullet note of places that they could potentially camp at.

Tyler sits around the table, counting his medicine to see how many pills he has left. Thankfully, he got them refilled before everything went to shit. He counts out 6 tablets, and places them in his mouth, taking a swig of water immediately after. Jim paces around the room, wanting to go for a walk.

"So, what do we do about Jim? He can't just _go_ in the floor if he needs outside." Josh asks.

Everyone ponders for a minute. There wasn't really much to consider. It was either leave Jim behind, let him do his business in the floor, let him behind the door and hope they can get him back, or take him out themselves. There was no way in hell that they would leave him behind, so that eliminated one option. Jim is softly whining and wagging his tail at the door. His loose coat flying off of him when he shakes his entire body.

If they take Jim out themselves, do they just leave? Should they return back to the dorm once they leave those doors? None of them had the answer.

"I guess we should go ahead and prepare to leave?" Tyler proposes. It's phrased like a question, leaving Josh and Mark to answer for themselves.

Mark perks his head up. "I think that's the best course of action. I rather we leave here when we're prepared and have one step ahead rather than get caught in some bad shit."

Josh nods his head at Tyler and Mark.

The first location that pops to mind is Sandusky, Ohio. That's where Jenna was; and there was no question that it was their absolute priority. They had to plan their exact route, as well as alternatives. Josh knew Marion and Columbus well, but Sandusky was a completely different story. It was pretty plain there. Littered with cornfields, the lake, and some corporation super-stores. It was much, much different than Columbus or Cincinnati. Of course, with Sandusky, they hoped it would be much safer in a more sparse community and lower population.

Tyler takes another piece of paper and starts writing while Mark is absorbed in his task. All Josh can hear is the scratching of the papers, and Jim whining every few minutes.

After extensive writing, the boys have a plan of action. They know which stores to loot, what towns to go to, remote areas, and self defense. They start packing things from the dorm. Tyler grabs the notebook, some pens, a battery-powered CD player, and starts parking Mark's clothes. Mark is pacing every room, to make sure he forgets nothing. He grabs a picture of his family, his gamecube, and joins Tyler. Josh packs all of the supplies that they had brought in, as well as some bigger knives for all of them.

After a few minutes, they all regroup. Staring at the door. Tyler has Jim's leash in his hand, and a knife in the other. Mark is clutching his pistol by his side, safety on but loaded for the undead. Josh has his bat in both hands, across his shoulder. They all have bags on their backs, and changed into clothes that better covered their bodies, despite the heat.

_"Let's do this."_


	8. I'll Keep on Trying

Mark swiftly takes hold of the door handle, and turns the nob to throw open the door.

To his surprise, the door doesn't budge.

_"Fuck. The door is still locked."_

Josh and Tyler try to stifle their laughter as Mark pouts in defeat. Mark glances at the two friends and straightens back up. He gives Josh and Tyler a few moments so they could compose themselves. After they settle down, everyone has a serious look on their faces, like before. Mark slowly unlocks the door, turning to look at Tyler and Josh. Tyler nods an "okay," but Josh just smirks at mark and mockingly says, _"_ _Let's do this."_

Mark throws open the door; successfully, this time. All of them expect to see a swarm of the walkers, but the doorway is suprisingly empty.

Though, they draw their attention to the long hallway. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

_Fuck._

_That's a lot._

Mark's pistol raised, and he took his aim.

"Mark!" Tyler scolds. "There's too much noise. We have to get up all close and personal."

"Okay. Mark. Just like we planned," Josh starts. "I'll head over to C hall and try and draw some noise in. I slip in, and slip out. Tyler has his knife, in case theyre getting too close. But, if we both get caught up, you have to shoot. They won't be worried about you. Just for the _love_ of _God,_ please, don't shoot us. We'll haunt you, if we die."

Mark nudges Josh playfully. "I got this. Watch out, man. Be safe."

Tyler steps in front of Josh and Mark. "Nothing bad will happen. Its okay. We'll be okay. We got this." Tyler flashes a smile and encourages his team to do their best.

Josh gleams back at Tyler's smile, and hugs Tyler in addition to. "Alright. Let's fuckin' do this."

Josh starts quietly creeping towards the hall.; careful not to make any noise to disturb the corpses. He holds his bat high over his head, ready to strike at any moment. He swallows thickly; approaching the corner that led into C hall. He stops at the corner, and leans his back flush against the wall with his bat hugged close to his figure. Mark and Tyler are still watching Josh's every movement. Mark is whispering under his breath, but Tyler can't make any of it out. Instead, Tyler is focussing on his own thoughts that he's having. He's conversing with himself in his head. "No, we'll be okay."

Josh takes a deep breath, and raises his bat to prepare himself for the worst.

The red-haired man peers around the corner and his eyes force themselves shut for a moment. A woman, dressed in a grey tee with the college's acronym embroidered onto it. She's wearing khaki capris that are tattered at the seams. Dark, brown blood is dried onto her jeans and there are clots of blood that have melted into her shirt.

Josh wants to throw up.

Her back is turned towards Josh, so Josh quickly decides to sneak behind her. Mark and Tyler lose sight of their friend, and can only imagine and pray for his safety. They have no idea that Josh is preparing a strong, balanced stanced as he is waiting to initiate combat.

A thud from the hall is heard. Mark and Tyler quietly scurry out of sight from the undead; careful to ensure that their attention was drawn to Josh instead of them.

Another thud is heard. This one was much louder than the first.

The only thoughts that consume Tyler's head are along the lines of " _josh is dead_ "

They hear the walkers' feet drag across the floor to every step. They began speaking to each other in inhuman gargles and snarls. Blood oozing from their mouth. Covering their teeth like lipstick would often coat onto Jenna's teeth. The same red color. Tyler's eyes welled up, but he wouldn't let a single tear fall from his face. 

Mark takes turns with Tyler peering around the corner of the doorway that they had taken shelter in. He has his right hand placed on Tyler's shoulder to comfort him; and maybe comfort himself a little, too.

"There's Joshua!" Mark quietly exclaims to Tyler.

To Tyler's _relief,_ he spots Josh at the end of the hallway. Josh is smiling, but tears are streaming steadily down his face. His eyebrows are furrowed and he his expression indicates that he's terrified. He's covered in blood, once again. Jim is wagging his tail, and pulling for Tyler to meet with his friend.

"Don't get overwhelmed, Ty. We aren't out of this shit, yet." Mark warns. He's glancing around the hall rapidly. His eyes darting in every direction. "But, we do gotta be sorta fast. Just watch your surroundings."

With that said, Tyler nods and they make their way to Josh. Tyler giving the leash a small shake to tell Jim to go. Mark let's Tyler take the left of the hall, where there were no open spaces while he took the side of the building with the hallway to their right; were the undead were.

They meet up with Josh and all of them sprint out the door to the van; Mark following close behind as he didn't know where Josh had parked. They reach the van safely, while, only seeing a few of the undead. They hop in the van, and put Jim in the back. As soon as they close their doors, they take off the bags that they had been running with; as well as they extra layers of clothing. Josh takes the key in hand and turns the ignition. The engine rolls over a few times and josh turns the AC on full blast. They hadn't realized how sweaty they were from the heat until they had taken all of their layers off.

Josh plugs his phone in, and plays some music he had downloaded previously. It's on shuffle between pop, punk, rock, and rap. Josh drives the trio and Jim to a more remote location, so they could plan the best course of action.


End file.
